The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe examined Recommendation 527 (2025) of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities entitled “Empowering cities and regions to combat human trafficking for labour exploitation.”

In its reply, adopted on 12 March 2026, the Committee of Ministers welcomes the attention paid by the Congress to the role of local and regional authorities in preventing trafficking, identifying victims, and supporting them. It shares concerns about the increase in cases of labour exploitation, which particularly affect vulnerable populations.

Recalling the work carried out by the Council of Europe and its Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA), the Committee of Ministers invites member States to take into account the concrete measures set out in the Congress recommendation. It encourages them in particular to strengthen coordination between national, regional and local levels, to improve the collection of data on trafficking, to clarify the responsibilities of authorities, and to support assistance for victims.

 See also: Trafficking in human beings for the purpose of labour exploitation